Cloud alternatives absent: Remaining justifications for on-premise access control

In today's digital age, data management has become a critical aspect for organizations across various sectors. With the surge in data volume, reaching 64.2 zettabytes worldwide in 2020 and expected to exceed 180 zettabytes by 2025, ensuring data integrity has become more important than ever. Two key components of data protection are data sovereignty and data residency.

Data sovereignty refers to the idea that each data element is subject to the laws of the country or region where it was electronically recorded. On the other hand, data residency refers to the physical/geographical locations where the data is stored. Many regulated organizations must demonstrate that all data processed remains in the country of origin or at a precisely defined geographic location. However, this can be challenging for cloud providers with geographically distributed servers and backup provisions.

For these reasons, on-premises data management has emerged as a crucial security measure, especially for organizations that are internationally active and need to ensure and demonstrate compliance with applicable data protection regulations. On-premises data management, such as using a custom-configured local Identity and Access Management (IAM) solution, can provide granular control over data access and ensure data sovereignty and security.

When selecting an on-premise access management solution, consider factors such as flexibility, integration, user experience, scalability, reporting and analysis, and costs. ProSoft recommends On-Premise Access Management from SecurEnvoy as a solution for strengthening remote desktop security with RDP Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA).

In a cloud-oriented model, the best solution for local identity and access management is to use a centralized, cloud-based IAM system that integrates local directories like Active Directory with modern cloud identity providers, supports federation, MFA, and enforces consistent access policies across cloud and on-premises resources. This includes approaches like extending local AD with Azure Active Directory or using workforce identity federation pools for managing identities and access in a unified manner across cloud projects and on-prem environments.

Organizations in heavily regulated sectors, such as defense, government, healthcare, and finance, often prefer the stricter security and access controls offered by local protected setups. The tendency of some SaaS platforms to store data at multiple and/or unspecified locations, possibly on different continents, is often not aligned with an organization's need to ensure both data sovereignty and data residency. A tailored MFA solution that provides the necessary data sovereignty and storage location, and can be adapted to legal requirements, is an indispensable security measure.

Recently, Microsoft discontinued its on-premise MFA server solution and advised affected users to switch to cloud-based alternatives or install a third-party on-premise access management solution. This shift towards on-premise solutions highlights the growing importance of data sovereignty and data residency in the digital age.

In conclusion, on-premise access management solutions offer a robust and customizable approach to data security and compliance. By providing granular control over data access, ensuring data sovereignty and residency, and adapting to legal requirements, on-premise solutions are an essential part of any organization's digital strategy.

Cloud alternatives absent: Remaining justifications for on-premise access control